SIMONA - A NEW VISION FOR WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE DANUBE BASIN

SIMONA,a project which focuses on creation of a harmonised system for monitoring and assessing water sediment quality, has entered into a third working period. Since its launch with a kick-off meeting in September 2018 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, many project outputs and deliverables have already been completed. This newsletter comprises lively SIMONA-related acitivites which have been going on over the past months.
 

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Want to learn more? 

Contact project manager Jasminka Alijagić (jasminka.alijagic@geo-zs.si) or communication manager Peter Kumer (peter.kumer@geo-zs.si) for up-to-date information about SIMONA. 

Don't forget to follow us on twitter (@project_SIMONA) or facebook (#SIMONA).

SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF SAMPLING GROUP WORKSHOP IN ZAGREB

From 18th to 19th of July 2019 sampling group, lead by the Croatian Geological Survey, held a workshop with the purpose to acquire the answers and solutions for the drainage sediment sampling methodology. Workshop was part of the Work Package number 4.
The workshop was attended by members of the sampling working group, 28 participants of the project partner institutions and a guest professor, Mr.  Wensheng Ya, from UNESCO International Centre on Global-scale Geochemistry (ICGG) in China. Prof. Yao contributed with presentation of sampling methodology in China. His presentation was held via Skype.
During the workshop many interesting discussions and problems were constructively resolved. Sampling methodology was discussed, major topics of discussion were: sampling site selection, frequency of sampling, depth of sampling, volume of sampling, equipment for sampling, and many more topics.
Great experience for all participants and many answered questions yielded success of the workshop.
Big thanks to all participants! Further reading

First Year Review and Partners Meeting tOOK place in Budapest

On 9th and 10th of July 2019 the University of Technology and Economics in Budapest was hosting First Year Review Meeting and Partners Meeting of the SIMONA project.

1. First Year Review Meeting
On July 9th 2019 work package leaders presented their past activities and consult with project officer on how to plan future project tasks. Partners that couldn't attend the meeting in-situ had the opportunity to join the meeting through video streaming.
2. Partners Meeting
The following day, July 10th 2019, was reserved only for project partners to discuss implementation of future activities. Further reading

Baia Mare was hosting September's WG6 meeting

A lovely city of Baia Mare which lies in northwest of Romania was hosting the September's SIMONA meeting.
The meeting which took place on 13th September 2019 was held at the premises of Technical University of Cluj Napoca. The participants were the members of Work Group 6 which focuses on Upper Tisa testing area. They mainly discussed the details regarding sampling sites (e.g. exact location, measuring compounds and matrices, who is responsible for sampling) for Upper Tisa testing points. Professor Gheorghe Damian (RO-TUCN), who is leading this work group, emphasized the importance of finalising the selection of the 10 points for Upper Tisa and their close collaboration with the Romanian ASP - National Administration Romanian Waters
Further reading

Project Presentation AT the 7th Croatian Water Conference

The 7th Croatian Water Conference was held in Opatija from May 30 to June 1, 2019. The motto of the Conference was Croatian Waters in Environmental and Nature Protection. It was thematically linked to the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive, which aims to protect and improve the water ecosystems in the European Union. A great number of scientific and professional papers were presented at the conference, many of which emerged from different European projects. It was also clear that there is still room for better use of money from EU funds. Moreover, special emphasis was placed on international cooperation, which is in the spirit of the European Union. In this kind of content, the project SIMONA has been well-integrated and was presented in the form of paper and presentation within one of the four scientific and expert topics of the Conference, entitled Water Policy, Education, Water Management Planning, International Cooperation and Public Participation. Further reading

Laboratory WG workshop WAS HELD at Szent István University IN BUDAPEST

During last week of August (August 26 – 27, 2019) Budapest was hosting the Laboratory WG Meeting. Most of the Laboratory WG members gathered at the Szent István University to discuss the laboratory protocol development and deliverable finalization (both part of period 3 activities). They talked about the standards and guidelines on sampling analysis and made conclusion how to develop the protocol for the SIMONA project. They prepared a list of possible laboratories in the participating countries that could make analyses in accordance with the WFD requirements. Some partners attended the meeting via Skype.

During the two-day-long meeting WG members the group also visited an accredited laboratory laboratory of Bálint Analitika Ltd where the WG members learned about operational working of a professional environmental laboratory.
The meeting was smooth and fruitful at the end with great inputs gathered for the future work of the WG and for the SIMONA project. Further reading

Geochemists from all around europe met in budapest

The joint annual meeting of EuroGeoSurveys Geochemistry Expert Group (EGS-GEG) and IUGS Commission on Global Geochemical Baselines (IUGS-CGGB) took place in Budapest between 26 and 27 of September 2019. The group of experts was hosted by the Mining and Geological Survey of Hungary.
At the meeting participated two SIMONA members: Győző Jordán as scientific coordinator and Ajka Šorša as WP4 leader. Further reading

FUTURE PROJECT ACTIVITIES

- October 2nd-4th, 2019 (Laktaši): 2nd Geological Congress of Bosnia and Herzegovina, participation with presentation

- October 9th-12th, 2019 (Zagreb): 6th Croatian Geological Congress, participation with presentation
- October 21st-22nd, 2019 (Sofia): Project Meeting, Meeting for members of Working Group 6 (Upper Tisa) and 7 (South Danube) and SIMONA Steering Committee.

- February 2020 (Budapest): Mid-term project meeting (tbc)

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